Hydraulic machine



Sept 22, 1936.

c. FUCHS 2,055,196

HYDRAULI C MACK-II NE Filed Oct. 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l CARL FUCHSSept. 22, 1936. Q ug s 2,055,196

HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed Oct. 15, 193 5 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 amen M cam.FUCHS Sept. 22, 1936. c. FUCHS 2,055,196

HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed Oct. 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gm. w

\ Patented I Sept. 22, 1936 nrnaaomo momma Carl Fuchs, Mergelstetten,near Heidenheim-onthe-Brenz, Germany, assignor to J. M. Voith,Heidenheim-on-the-Brenz, Germany, a copartnership composed of WaltherVoith, Hermann Voith and Hanns Voith Application October 15, 1935,Serial No. 45,041

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic machines of the typewherein the blades of the runner of such type of machines are adjustableto vary the angle and the area of the water opening through the runner.v

An object of the invention is to provide an improved blade operatingmechanism within the hub of the runner of hydraulic machines of theabove type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism foradjusting the position of the runner blades, so that a comparativelysmall hub for the runner can be employed for Another object of theinvention is to provide an improved mechanism for operating the bladesof an adjustable blade hydraulic machine in which leverage mechanism ofnovel construction is employed for actuating the runner blades.

Another object of. the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicmachine of the character mentioned which is simple in construction andreliable and exact in function under all conditions of service.

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of whichit is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a hydraulic turbinehaving a runner of the adjustable blade type constructed according. tothe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the hub of the runner taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and i Fig.5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Fig. 1, the type of turbineshown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a speedring I I, in which are mounted an annular series of wicket gates 12 and.guide vanes I3. I

The wicket gates [2 are adapted to be rotated simultaneously intodifferent angular positions to control the flow of water into theturbine.

The guide vanes l3 are so disposed relatively to the wicket gates l2 asto intercept the water flowing into the turbine and direct the sametowards the openings between-the wicket gates.

The speed ring H is composed of an upper flange M and a lower flange I5,which flanges are rigidly held in spaced relation relatively to eachother by the guide vanes I3.

The turbine may be mounted in an open flume with the lower flange l5 ofthe speed ring ll set in a concrete setting l6.

Each wicket gate I2 is pivotally mounted in the speed ring II by meansof a shaft or stem I! which extends through the wicket gate. The lowerend of the shaft I1 is mounted in a bearing l8 formed in the flange l5,and the upper end of said shaft projects upwardly through a bearing orbushing l9 mounted in the flange M.

The upper end of each shaft I1 is provided with a gate operating armwhich is fixed to said shaft. The arms 20 are connected by links 2| to agate adjusting ring 22. The gate adjusting ring is adapted tobe'operated in a well known manner so as to simultaneously rotate thewicket gates. v

The upper portion of the turbine is closed by an annular crown plate 23which is disposed within the speed ring ll.

Mounted in the concrete setting I6 and constituting a downward extensionof the speed ring I l is a throat ring 25 which forms an axiallydirected chamber in which the runner 26 operates.

Beneath the runner 26 is the usual draft tube 21 through which the waterwhich passes through i the runner is discharged' The hub of the runner26 is fixed to the lower end of a hollow or tubular shaft 28 which isjournailed in a suitable bearing 30 mounted in the crown plate 23 of theturbine. V

A suitable number of blades 34 are rotatably supported in the hub of therunner 26 and project radially therefrom. In the present instance 7blades are shown (see Fig. 2).

The inner end of each blade 34 is formed with a trunnion 35 which isjournalled in bearings or bushings 36 and 31 supported in the hub. Theconstruction is such that the blades are rotatable into diiierentangular relationships with the axis of the runner. r The hub of therunner 26 is made hollow in order to accommodate the runner bladeoperated mechanism and said hub has an outer wall 38 formed, at spacedintervals, with openings 39 to receive the bushings 36.

The outer portion of each opening 39 is enlarged as indicated at 40(Figs. 2 and 3) in order to receive the hub 4| formed on the innerportion of each blade 34, the joint between the hub tively connected tothe trunnion of each blade and to a cross head 43 fixed to the lower endof an operating rod 46. The rod 46 extends upwardly through the hollowrunner shaft and is adapted to be operated by well known mechanism, suchfor instance as that disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,937,772dated Decemher 5, 1933, for Hydraulic turbine, invented by Daniel J.McCormack.

In constructing hydraulic machines of the type herein disclosed, when itis desired to construct a runner of exceedingly large dimensions for useunder a high head, in order to utilize a comparatively small hub for therunner, it is necessary to employ compact mechanism within the hub ofthe runner for operating the runner blades, especially when the runneris provided with more than four blades.

According to the present invention, the trunnion 35 of each blade 34 isformed with a collar 41 which is fixed or otherwise keyed to thetrunnion by means of a bolt 48. By utilizing bolt 48 the collar 41 canbe readily disassembled from the trunnion of the blade, as will beunderstood. The bolt 48 only transmits the force necessary for the blademovement and can accordingly be kept small for the sake of reducing theamount of space within the hub to a minimum.

At a. point adjacent to the part of the trunnion 35 carrying collar 41,the trunnion is enlarged, as at 49, so as to provide a shoulder adaptedto bear against the inner end of bushing 36 and transmit end thrusts tosaid bushing.

The inner surface of the enlarged portion 39 of each trunnion 35 is madeinclined, as indicated at 50, Fig. 5, and the adjacent portion of collar41 is correspondingly formed inclined as indicated at 5i, so that thecollar will snugly fit against the enlarged portion 49.

Due to the restricted amount of space between the trunnions 35,especially the portions of said trunnions between bearings 36 and 31,there is insufficient space to accommodate large collars of annular orring form. Therefore, since the forces are transmitted through the bolts48 the collars 41 are made substantially c-form and only encircle thetrunnions sufficiently to receive the-bolts 48, as shown in Fig. 4. Byconstructing the collars in this manner, when all of the collars areassembled on the trunnions, suflicient clearance space will be had topermit free movement of the parts within the hub as shown in Fig. 2.

In the present instance the trunnion 35 of each blade is operativelyconnected to the cross head 43 by leverage mechanism including an arm 52projecting from the collar 4'! and connected to an angle or bell cranklever 53 by links 54, the

lever 53 in turn being connected to the cross head 43 by links 55. Lever53 is pivotally mounted in the hub of the runner 25 by a pin 55, asshown in Fig. 5.

The construction and arrangement of the parts of the leverage mechanismis such that very little space is required for the links and levers.This is dueto the fact that, by employing an angle or bell crank leverand mounting the same in the hub beneath the trunnion 35 of each blade,as shown in Fig. 4, the lever arm 52 can be so disposed as to projectdownwardly beneath the collar 41 and be connected to the adjacentportion of the angle or bell crank lever 53 by comparatively short links54. Also, the cross head 43 may be connected to the adjacent portion ofthe angle or bell crank lever 53 by comparatively short links 55, whichlinks are, as shown in Fig. 4, substantially ,vertically disposedbeneath the trunnion on the side thereof opposite to the arm 52.

Heretofore it has been the practice to arrange the lever arms on thetrunnions of the blades in a position perpendicular to the axis ofrotation of the blades, and to connect said arms to the cross head bylinks disposed substantially parallel to the vertical axis of therunner.

When the lever arms are disposed perpendicular to the trunnions of theblades, obviously, they occupy considerable space within the runner hub,and hence when a relatively large number of blades are employed, say,five, six or more, it was necessary to substantially increase thediameter of the hub of the runner so as to accommodate the runner bladeoperating mechanism. Such construction decreased the throat area of theturbine and consequently reduced the area in the turbine through whichthe water flows a corresponding amount so as to decrease the ability ofthe turbine to pass the water and thereby unfavorably influence theefliciency and also increase the cost of constructing the turbine.

Furthermore, the perpendicular location of the lever arms caused certaindifficulties in design, particularly for turbines under high head, wherethe regulating forces are great, and to overcome these defects it wasnecessary to increase the sizes of the parts constituting the runnerblade operating mechanism within the hub.

By the present invention, the above difficulties are overcome, becauseby using a lever arm fastened to the trunnion of the runner blade whichis arranged substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of therunner, and by using an angle or bell crank lever between the lever armand the cross head, the axial movement of the cross head is changed intoa movement perpendicular to the runner axis.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:-

1. A runner for hydraulic machines comprising a hub, a plurality ofblades having trunnions rotatably mounted in the hub, a lever armsecured to the trunnion of each blade and depending at an angledownwardly therefrom, an angle lever pivotally mounted within the hubbeneath the trunnion of each blade, a link connecting said lever armwith said angle lever, a cross head mounted for movement parallel to theaxis of rotation of the runner, and a link connecting said angle leverwith said cross head.

2. A runner for hydraulic machines comprising a hub, a plurality ofblades having trunnions rotatably mounted in-the hub, a lever. armsecured to the trunnion of each blade and depending at an angledownwardly therefrom, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted within thehub beneath the trunnion of each bladefa link connecting said lever armwith said bell crank lever, a cross head mounted for movement parallelto the axis of rotation of the runner, and a link connecting said bellcrank lever with said cross head.

3. A runner for hydraulic machines comprising a hub, a plurality ofblades having trunnions rotatably mounted in inner and outer bearingsnion and bearing against its outer bearing. a -c-shaped collardetachably mounted on each trunnion and bearing against saidenlargement.

a lever arm projecting downwardly from said I collar, a lever pivotallymounted in the hub and disposed underneath each trunnion. a linkconnecting said lever with said lever arm, said link underlying thetrunnion, a reciprocating cross head mounted within the hub beneath saidtrunnions, and a link underlying the trunnion and connecting each leverwith said cross head.

4. A runner for hydraulic machines comprising a hub, a plurality ofblades having trunnions rotatably mounted in the hub, a cross headrecibrocally mounted within the hub, and means operatively connectingsaid trunnions and said cross head for transmitting movements of saidcross head to said blades, including a lever pivotally mounted in saidhub and having arms connected respectively to said trunnion and to saidcross head. CARL FUCHS.

